2023 DELTA GUBER CONTEST: Okowa Assures Of Level Playing Field And Transparent Party Primaries For All

IFEANYI OKOWA

"Interested candidates are now to slug it out at the party primaries where the most popular and smart aspirants will eventually emerge, and that includes the governorship ticket of the party.

The governorship elections in the forthcoming elections in 2023  certainly will an interesting contest for aspirants seeking to occupy the Sir Dennis Osadebey House in Delta state as the State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa as assured aspirants of a level playing field in the primaries for candidates under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Leader of the PDP in Delta state, Governor Okowa gave this assurance during the mega Rally organized by the PDP in Asaba, the state capital on Saturday, 22^nd January, wherein, he assured that candidates for elected positions shall emerge strictly via free, fair and transparent party primaries.

This pronouncement on Saturday put paid to speculations that the governorship candidate may emerge through consensus or from a list of recommended aspirants by lobby groups within the party working very hard to earn the enviable reputation of king makers in the ongoing 2023 governorship politics in the state.

Gov Okowa, who was very loud, clear and unequivocal in his pronouncement while addressing party leaders and their supporters routing for particular aspirants, said interested candidates are now to slug it out at the party primaries where the most popular and smart aspirants will eventually emerge, and that includes the governorship ticket of the party.

This position is not alien to PDP members. It is on record that in 1999, 2007 and 2015 the governorship ticket was won on the basis of party primaries and the present leadership of the party in the state will sustain same procedures wherein all aspirants shall lock horns at the party primaries and a winner will emerge. 

In 1999 Chief James Ibori emerged as the governorship candidate, in 2007 Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan got the ticket, while the incumbent governor, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, clinched the party gubernatorial flag in 2015.

From the current position of the party, the screened and shortlisted aspirants which may be submitted to the governor by lobby groups in the coming days goes to no issue, as it clearly negates the universal democratic principles of fair, free and transparent electoral process. PDP in Delta State is known for free and fair party primaries since 1999 and still counting.  

The shortlisted aspirants by lobby groups, as well as those screened out of the race, are to participate in the party gubernatorial primaries except those who may voluntarily step down for their preferred aspirant so as to pursue lesser political ambitions. 

Reliable sources in one of the popular lobby groups confirmed that some governorship aspirants will drop their ambitions and go for either House of Representatives or Senatorial tickets.

Former governor, Chief James Ibori while addressing the mammoth crowd at the PDP Mega Rally, commended Gov Okowa, in kind words, for providing credible leadership for the state and the party wherein he practically erased doubts and rumours making the rounds that the duo were at loggerheads over who becomes Okowa's successor in 2023.

The Asaba PDP Mega Rally was a huge success. The high point of the event was the defection of thousands of APC members to PDP, led by the former State Chairman of the party, Chief Cyril Abeye Ogodo.

According to Cyril Ogodo, PDP is light while APC represents absolute darkness, which was why he had to come out of darkness into the marvelous light of PDP in the state. 

Ogodo commended Governor Okowa for his visionary leadership and good governance strides from 2015 till date and still counting. He urged Deltans to continue to support the governor till May 29, 2023 and beyond.